UPDATE: Wholly shit, Batman! They are selling the poster separately, for, get this, $19.95! They’re calling it a feminist collector’s item.
Apparently this is what prostitution looks like.
~~~~~
Making the rounds in the blogosphere in seconds flat is the new Ms. cover.
Reader Patti tipped me off in comments here, and from Heidi Li’s, I was off to Deadenders, to see the photoshop job:
Perfect, no?
Meanwhile, Dr. Violet Socks expresses rage, and Heidi Li cross-posts to the Confluence. This is gonna be the story of the weekend, I suppose, which is appropriate since the image is so highly offensive. Very soon, I think, the e-mail boxes of Ms. Magazine’s customer service department and various executives will be filled with e-mails from us. Before you shoot off an angry diatribe that will wilt in transit, arriving an impotent pile of words that will instantly turn off readers and alienate sympathies, I thought we should explore exactly why this image is so offensive. If nothing else, perhaps we can establish effective talking points when calling this to the attention of other media.
This image is modeled on one of the most iconic scenes in the history of American comic books, that of Clark Kent removing his shirt to reveal he is Superman. This is a dominant image in our literary canon (and yes I do consider some comic books to be part of our canon now), which makes it a kind of archetype for some American men. The average guy who transforms into a hero and saves the lady and the day is one of the most common fantasies in the male psyche in America today. Part of the reason for that is that the image reinforces our notion of American Exceptionalism. It’s also strongly patriarchal. Even when a woman is included in the storyline, as DC Comics finally did in 1959, she is relegated to the status of girl, and thus was born Supergirl, get this–The Maid of Might.
Here are a few examples to illustrate how iconic this image is:
If the Ms. cover was a parody, it would be funny. Sadly, it’s not a parody, but an obvious assist from a publication that, despite marketing itself as such is frankly not feminist, but passes the sniff test for a lot of America’s preoccupied women. Ms. has long supported Obama and works with such organizations as NOW, which officially endorsed its first male candidates when the organization supported the Obama/Biden ticket in September of 2008. This is what makes it so disgusting. It’s a serious attempt to rehabilitate Obama’s reputation at a time when he’s rightfully getting a lot of flack for his questionable treatment and inclusion of women in his administration.
But let’s explore the image further, shall we? What does this image suggest to the women viewing it? Doesn’t it suggest that we should relax, because he may be a closet feminist, but he’s also a Superfeminist? As soon as women are in crisis, you can trust that Obama will emerge your hero? I submit that it also suggests that feminism–and women by extension–need saving, and Obama’s just the man to do it. This is the same line of rhetoric that the Obama camp has been feeding various constituencies for well on 2 years now: Trust me, this is all just talk, just business; I’m actually one of YOU. Finally, the image imparts a kind of perfection in its hagiographic representation of Obama as a man who only wants to do good, and who could not possibly have ulterior motives.
Are we really supposed to believe any of that in light of this, this, and this? That’s just the beginning; don’t forget Summers, Favreau, & the Stimulus Plan. How much evidence does one need to mount to prove that Obama is out of touch with women and their issues? Apparently we’re hitting maximum density, or they wouldn’t be fighting back like this. Take heart, ladies and gentlemen, because this means the narrative that so many of us are working to build, the narrative of truth, which is that Obama never has been and never will be a friend of women, is working. It’s making a dent. Keep it up.
The idea of Barack Obama as Superfeminist is absurd and offensive, but it is also a trick. We’ve seen this kind of rehabilitation before. We saw it with Summers and Favreau, when articles that showed them a favorable light, especially articles by women began to emerge from various media outlets. This is also the same technique we’ve seen the Bush Administration use for eight long years now. Whenever a problem comes up, run it through your personal propaganda mill, the press, and change the narrative. Don’t let them do that.
When you write your e-mail or your letter, choose your issues carefully. Do not make it all about the primary or the election, unless you want to be promptly ignored. Refrain from profanity, and attempt a rational tone. I suggest focusing on what he’s done just since the election, as I’ve outlined in this post, to demonstrate why you don’t think Obama is feminist, let alone Superfeminist. I also suggest using the cultural narrative angle (the danger of it) and the propoganda angle to shame them a bit, in the politest language of course. You want to convince them, not alienate them, so be careful. You might also consider contacting any media organizations that report the cover, regardless of their angle. Let them know what you think.
January 10, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Hey thanks for the plug. If I have time today I’ll do a THIS IS WHAT A MISOGYNIST LOOKS LIKE one.
January 10, 2009 at 1:49 pm
My pleasure, DE. It’s excellent work. Can’t wait to see the misogyny one!
January 10, 2009 at 2:43 pm
It’s up feel free to grab it..
January 10, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Excellent post!
January 10, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Fantastic article Anna Belle!
January 10, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Yes, an excellent and enlightening article! It’s funny, I was so shocked at anyone calling Obama a “feminist” (something his own wife won’t even claim to be) that I completely missed the Superman angle in all of this.
Also, moving beyond the election is good advice in regard to criticism. If we keep bringing up Hillary we are going to be ghettoized as the obsessive Hillary Puma people.
A good writer and a good tactician.
January 10, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Yes, that’s exactly it, Ali. We’ve been at risk for creating the Hillary Clinton ghetto for a while now. That’s part of the reason I started this blog, to inject a rational tone.
January 10, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Those images are quite damning. That cover seems more like something the Onion would do as a spoof than something a feminist publication would propagate.
It does have a flavor of desperation.
Thanks for your great review of the real issues behind that magazine cover. This stuff is so important, and you’ve managed to capture it brilliantly.
January 10, 2009 at 6:30 pm
great analysis Annabelle!
January 11, 2009 at 7:35 am
Thanks for saying what I could not.
Quoting you today… here:
http://syd4.blogspot.com/2009/01/reactions-to-ms-ogyny-are-varied.html
January 11, 2009 at 10:42 am
Nominate the issue for NOW’s Media Hall of Shame.
http://www.now.org/issues/media/hall_of_shame/suggestion.html
January 11, 2009 at 12:31 pm
[...] This quarter’s issue even comes with a 18″x24″ pull-out centerfold poster of Mr. Super-Feminist [...]
January 11, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Nominate the issue for NOW’s Media Hall of Shame.
Done and done. Thanks for the suggestion!
January 11, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Yes, not only does Ms. Magazine have such a cover, they are also PROMOTING AND SELLING A POSTER OF THE COVER . . . http://www.msmagazine.com/
ACTION PLAN:
1. TELL MS. MAGAZINE TO PULL THE COVER AND THE POSTER. Let them know what you think.
a) Write a Letter to the Editor: letterstotheeditor@msmagazine.com
b) Email their editors:
• Senior Editor, Michele Kort: mkort@msmagazine.com
• Associate Editor Jessica Stites: jstites@msmagazine.com
• Web Editor Alysse Bortolotto: abortolotto@feminist.org
• Online News Editor Beth Soderberg: bsoderberg@feminist.org
c) Suggest content (e.g., an editorial on how inappropriate their cover is, what the real facts are, etc): contentsuggestions@msmagazine.com
2. Call Ms. Magazine and let them know what you think. Toll Free: 1-800-787-1414 or 1-310-556-2515.
3. Contact their publisher: The publisher of Ms. Magazine is Liberty Media for Women, LLC which is owned by the Feminist Majority Foundation. There is also a form for comments here: http://www.feminist.org/forms/comments.html
The Feminist Majority has East and West Coast Offices:
1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 801
Arlington, VA 22209
703-522-2214
703-522-2219 (fax)
433 S. Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
310-556-2500
310-556-2509 (fax)
3. Nominate the Ms. Magazine issue for NOW’s Media Hall of Shame.
http://www.now.org/issues/media/hall_of_shame/suggestion.html
4. Boycott Ms. Magazine and any products they advertise. Let the advertisers know you will be boycotting their products.
5. Perhaps most importantly, can all of the like-minded women’s organizations get together, write a press release, and sign a letter from all? It would send a powerful message if a number of women’s organizations and groups were involved and spoke together in one voice.
Together we are strong!
January 11, 2009 at 11:37 pm
“This is what self-delusion looks like….”
djmm
January 12, 2009 at 12:08 am
[...] Anna Belle always has an unique perspective. She focuses on the Superman imagery: But let’s explore the image further, shall we? What does this image suggest to the women viewing it? Doesn’t it suggest that we should relax, because he may be a closet feminist, but he’s also a Superfeminist? As soon as women are in crisis, you can trust that Obama will emerge your hero? I submit that it also suggests that feminism–and women by extension–need saving, and Obama’s just the man to do it. This is the same line of rhetoric that the Obama camp has been feeding various constituencies for well on 2 years now: Trust me, this is all just talk, just business; I’m actually one of YOU. Finally, the image imparts a kind of perfection in its hagiographic representation of Obama as a man who only wants to do good, and who could not possibly have ulterior motives. [...]
January 12, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Has anyone read the article related to the cover? IS there an article related to the cover? (if there wasn’t, then that would be just too deliciously apt — Obama, all about the packaging, nothing inside).
If this is an attempt to draw more younger women into feminism or becoming subscribers — ha! good luck with that. What’s in the next issue, make-up tips? How to snag the man of your dreams?
Excellent analysis Annabelle, I hadn’t gotten that far, I was too busy barfing over the cover.
January 12, 2009 at 1:59 pm
[...] and Lilies has the best and correct line: UPDATE: Wholly shit, Batman! They are selling the poster separately, for, get this, $19.95! [...]
January 12, 2009 at 10:11 pm
But you do have to admit that the expression on his face is PERFECT. Self-conscious, self-important, and ever so look-at-me pretty. Why does this guy keep reminding me of A-Rod getting ready to bat for the Yankees, preening and so very, very aware of the adoring crowds?
Compare this to the first MS cover of Super Woman: serious, fighting the good fight, striding assertively to care for her village, actually DOING something.
http://www1.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-11/how-feminism-became-the-f-word/
January 14, 2009 at 9:51 am
My heart aches for this country. All we have anymore are political prostitutes.
January 14, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Soros is using Ms. as a dumping ground for all the pseudo feminist he used to campaign for BO — that is their reward to keep them working the propaganda machine. Donna Brazille is now some kind of editor on salary. See: The Confluence Wed Q&A
http://riverdaughter.wordpress.com/2009/01/14/wednesday-q-a/#comment-272593